SEATTLE -- The Seattle Pacific University volleyball team has been picked fourth in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference 2005 preseason coaches poll which was released by the league office on Friday afternoon.

The Falcons finished with 69 points in the balloting, just four shy of cross-city rival Seattle University. Central Washington, which went a perfect 18-0 in GNAC play last year, captured all 10 first-place votes and is the league favorite again with 110 points. Western Washington was picked second with 86. Those four teams also finished in the same order at the top of the GNAC standings in 2004.

First year head coach Chris Johnson–who served as the team’s top assistant last year–and his Falcons will be tested early and often. SPU faces two nationally ranked opponents in its first four matches at the Ferris State Invitational Aug. 26-27. On the opening day, the Falcons face No. 14 Grand Valley State. The following day, they face the 17th-ranked tournament host.

The following week, SPU hosts top-ranked Nebraska-Kearney, an NCAA Division II semifinalist with two All-Americans among five returning starters, in the Emerald City Classic. The Falcons also face the 12th-ranked Wildcats of CWU twice in GNAC play.

Seattle Pacific returns four starters from a team that finished 15-11 last year, 11-7 in conference play.